Additional Attack for Spell casts

We've been talking about this on the RDM forums for awhile and I thought I should share. Would you cast magic more often if casting magic awarded you an additional attack that would TP while you are casting a spell? Think of it like Zanshin for spell casting, instead of for missed attacks. If you use a spell that also benefits from OA, then hopefully you will actually net gain TP, even if you don't necessarily net gain DPS.

We have a typical RDM quagmire going on where people are spouting their 'knowledge' of how the FFXI game engine works as a justification for why RDM should or should not melee, as opposed to actually talking about the idea. But for you guys, I doubt a debate on whether DRKs should melee will come up, so hopefully you can actually have a discussion.

Im not sure im understanding the idea correctly. so activate ability >> start casting >> ability makes you swing while casting?

I have been suggesting this for ages, make it so that casting doesn't interrupt our swing. For game balance, maybe make it that any swing during casting will only do 2/3 of the damage, but still get full tp, which is what really matters. If a pld can shield block during casting, a drk should be able to attack during casting. The JP have suggested a bonus swing after every dark magic casting instead. I just don't understand how SE doesn't seem to understand that we will only cast if it doesn't cripple our melee.

I would like it if it is like a job trait or a stance ability that stays on. I feel like I should cast when i have to go out of melee range, because of AoE or procs or w/e to get extra tp. But yeah an ability like this would get me casting even with our current crappy Tier nukes. Because it would mean some free TP.

I would really like to see elemental nukes on DRK have some kind of functionality though. Like mixing elemental nukes to get a custom "chainbound" effect to WS on, like kosen-ittai but with more hassle involved.

Or maybe even have an Elemental nuke make the enemy more susceptible to a PHYSICAL WS of that skillchain element.

I'd cast magic if it offered some utility, debuffing power, or aided in the death of the monster in a constructive way.


I do not refrain from casting only because it stalls my melee, I do it because on the whole it has a marginal impact at best.

Even if my DPS was lowered but I could aid the conflict in some other way, I'd cast every time it was appropriate to do so.